Taking good care of our hair can be difficult, as there are so many myths floating around.
There's a lot of speculation over how often we should actually wash our hair, and if it's healthier to leave it longer in between washes.
But, according to the UK's leading hair transplant surgeon Dr Matee Rajput, there is a right answer. Surgeon to the stars, including Love Island winner Jack Fincham, Gaz Beadle and Joe Swash, he's shared his expertise on some common hair questions we wonder about every day.
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Dr Matee explained that although some shampoos recommend using them daily to wash your hair, this isn't the best advice.
He said: "You shouldn't be washing your hair too frequently. I'd recommend no more than 3-4 times a week, so essentially every other day. You need your own body and hair to secrete oils and fluids which lubricate the hair, and if you keep washing with soapy shampoos, it can prevent that. In the long run, it can lead to damage in your hair and scalp."
Because frequent hair-washing can strip your locks of its natural oils, Dr Matee recommends giving your hair a little something extra.
He said: "If you're using shampoo often, I'd recommend using a natural moisturiser such as argan or coconut oil."
Dr Matee then discussed the best way to dry our hair after washing it, and if air-drying naturally was really the least damaging way to go. According to him, staying away from heated tools is key for keeping a healthy and full head of hair.
He explained: "You should let your hair naturally dry. My own hair regimen is, after I wash my hair, I just let the water fall off itself rather than using a towel straight away.
"Then I just gently dab with a towel, and the result is that less hair follicles fall out."
We all know that the greying of our hair is mostly down to ageing, but does stress have anything to do with the process?
Dr Matee has seen this happen, including in himself: "Stress can affect your hormone levels, which can in turn affect skin cells and hair cells.
"It's happened to me over the last couple of years, through Covid and a personally stressful time for me. I’ve got hair at the top of my head that’s all gone grey."
When it comes to washing our hair, we might have experienced what was once our favourite shampoo suddenly stop working as well as it used to.
Dr Matee explained that this is really common, and has found that certain brands that he used to love would start making his scalp flaky again after just 3-4 months.
To prevent this from happening, he recommended to be more mindful when choosing a shampoo.
He said: "What I realised works really effectively for me now is using shampoos that are ammonia, sulfate and paraben free as they’re easier on your scalp.
"I treat skin conditions as hair transplant surgeon and also as a GP. Scalp health is one of the most important things - if your scalp is healthy, you can have healthy hair."
Finally, throwing your hair up in ponytail or a bun is a great way to disguise any greasiness, but is it doing more harm than good?
Dr Matee said tying your hair back doesn't necessarily damage it, but there are certain other things that cause breakage and hair loss.
He said: "Putting stress on your hair can cause damage. For example, people who have extensions, that can affect it.
"I see loads of women who have too many extensions in, and the weight pulls on the hair follicles and makes it thinner and thinner."
He also explained that braiding can cause damage, as well as wearing headwear and turbans for religious reasons as they can stress and pull the hair.
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